Helping Students Get A Good Footing
Timberville Church Donating Athletic Shoes To Local Schools
Posted: February 28, 2013
TIMBERVILLE — When a Timberville pastor asked Plains Elementary School counselor Betty Shenk what items the school was in need of, the answer was athletic shoes.
“Next thing we knew, [we had] bags of shoes,” Shenk said.
The Timberville Church of the Nazarene and its pastor, Todd Thomas, had responded with “Shoes for Students.”
After beginning the program in January, the congregation has gathered about 95 pairs of shoes from friends, family and co-workers, Thomas said.
Shoes are in need, Shenk said, because elementary-age students grow out of them so rapidly.
“For gym class, kids need shoes that are safe to run in and to play in,” she said. “And some of our students don’t have the means. … Some of our families struggle to pay for basic kinds of things.”
The school’s nurse, Shenk said, usually keeps shoes on hand, but she doesn’t always have enough or the right sizes.
So when Thomas, who is also a Timberville councilman, asked how his congregation could help the school, Shenk requested shoes.
But these sacks of footwear were not the first donations the church has bequeathed to Plains.
The relationship between the Church of the Nazarene and Plains Elementary School has been going on for a few years. In the past, the church has donated first aid supplies, mittens and hats.
“We try to direct what we do toward the need instead of just randomly dropping things off that might burden them more than help them,” Thomas said.
“They’ve been very good supporters of our school over the years,” Principal J.W. Kile said.
The church also has distributed shoes to John C. Myers Elementary and J. Frank Hillyard Middle schools and will soon begin serving Fulks Run and Lacey Spring elementary schools.
“As long as shoes are coming in, we’re going to send them out,” Thomas said.
Donations are welcome for shoes fitting elementary and middle school age children.
For more information or to donate new or gently used athletic shoes, contact the Timberville Church of the Nazarene at (540) 896-8143; or, if no one is at the church, drop them off there in a waterproof bag at 15849 New Market Road, just east of Timberville.
Contact Alex Rohr at 574-6293 or arohr@dnronline.com
“Next thing we knew, [we had] bags of shoes,” Shenk said.
The Timberville Church of the Nazarene and its pastor, Todd Thomas, had responded with “Shoes for Students.”
After beginning the program in January, the congregation has gathered about 95 pairs of shoes from friends, family and co-workers, Thomas said.
Shoes are in need, Shenk said, because elementary-age students grow out of them so rapidly.
“For gym class, kids need shoes that are safe to run in and to play in,” she said. “And some of our students don’t have the means. … Some of our families struggle to pay for basic kinds of things.”
The school’s nurse, Shenk said, usually keeps shoes on hand, but she doesn’t always have enough or the right sizes.
So when Thomas, who is also a Timberville councilman, asked how his congregation could help the school, Shenk requested shoes.
But these sacks of footwear were not the first donations the church has bequeathed to Plains.
The relationship between the Church of the Nazarene and Plains Elementary School has been going on for a few years. In the past, the church has donated first aid supplies, mittens and hats.
“We try to direct what we do toward the need instead of just randomly dropping things off that might burden them more than help them,” Thomas said.
“They’ve been very good supporters of our school over the years,” Principal J.W. Kile said.
The church also has distributed shoes to John C. Myers Elementary and J. Frank Hillyard Middle schools and will soon begin serving Fulks Run and Lacey Spring elementary schools.
“As long as shoes are coming in, we’re going to send them out,” Thomas said.
Donations are welcome for shoes fitting elementary and middle school age children.
For more information or to donate new or gently used athletic shoes, contact the Timberville Church of the Nazarene at (540) 896-8143; or, if no one is at the church, drop them off there in a waterproof bag at 15849 New Market Road, just east of Timberville.
Contact Alex Rohr at 574-6293 or arohr@dnronline.com